What is PSI?

PSI (PsychoSomatic Integration) is an overall evidence-based treatment approach for working with complex trauma and dissociation, that addresses the root causes of trauma-based presentations and fragmentation, and so results in long term recovery. Highly effective psychological and somatic techniques are woven into a carefully staged treatment approach, which systemically integrates significant relationships into the treatment process. PSI seeks to heal early experiences of abandonment, neglect, trauma, and attachment loss, that otherwise tend to play out repetitively and cyclically throughout the lifespan in relationship struggles. It is unique in that it approaches the body first (bottom-up processing) but also works to reinstate systems of meaning.

1. BODILY MINDFULNESS THERAPIES

address the bottom-up processing that so often renders verbal psychotherapy ineffective. They are particularly powerful when used to help couples and families become aware of their non-verbal communications and automatic reactions and gain more mastery over them. They also assist survivors of trauma to ground and cope with their frequent experiences of both hyper-activation (overwhelm) and hypo-activation (dissociation). Sensorimotor Psychotherapy draws from somatic therapies, neuroscience, attachment theory, as well as from the Hakomi Method, a gentle psychotherapeutic approach pioneered by Ron Kurtz. (http://www.hakomi.com/).

Everyone has ego states - parts of self that take on different roles and functions. States that seal off due to trauma or attachment injury can be at odds with one another, and this can cause many of the symptoms clients present with (e.g. "part of me wants this, but another part wants the opposite"). Ego state therapy brings these states into harmony so that all parts of self cooperate to attain desired goals. The DNMS, created by Shirley Jean Schmidt, is a type of ego state therapy that helps resourced parts of self repair internal relationships that were based on needs not having been met adequately in the past. These resourced ego states learn to reparent regressed parts of self so they are no longer trapped in the past or inappropriately dependent on others.

.3. FAMILY SYSTEMS AND ATTACHMENT REPAIR

Attachment repair work with systemic intervention into current dysfunctional relationships provides an opportunity to work through harm from past dysfunctional relationships and to experience and internalise secure forms of attachment. It encourages awareness and healing of the primary relationships in the individual’s life, including the therapeutic relationship, which becomes the foundation for all other interventions. The work of Diana Fosha, Allan Shore, Daniel Siegel provide guidance here